White coat?

How many of you wear a white coat for clinicals? I start tomorrow but we had to get a white coat (the short kind like med students wear) to wear. Any of you wear something like this? I don't know that we'll actually wear them, once we get out in clincals, they may not make us wear them.

I don't know a single nurse in the real world (other than NPs) that wears a white coat, so why do we do it in school? Are we supposed to be trying to look like med students?

And the short coat? While a long coat may imply professionalism and instill confidence, nothing says, "I don't have a clue what I'm doing" like the short coat. I've got a good friend who is a PA who said she couldn't WAIT to get rid of her short coat after PA school. (She has a long one now.)

Yeah, we have to wear a white lab coat-doesnt matter how long/short-over our professional street wear when we go to pick up patient assignments or go on the unit for ANY other reason that clinical day.

We are trying to look professional. The white coat has our school emblem ironed on it and says to everyone that we are nursing students. Hospitals prefer us to identify ourselves when we arent in our scrubs. It makes you feel more professional too IMHO (feel professiona=act professional?).

I have seen MANY nurses where white scrub jackets and think they look nice and professional over their scrubs. Plus they are warm and the hopsital is stinkin cold. Try not to worry to much over it--you can burn it when school is over.

i have one, but don't wear it anymore. at our ped's clinicals we were told that kids get "white coat syndrome" and fear them...so we were forbidden to wear them to clinicals. i can see the point. also, i never want to be mistaken for someone i am not. if i could wear a larger student badge i would :)

We don't have to have a lab coat, but they recommend getting one to wear into and out of the clinical settings on days when the weather gets cooler. We have to get a white 3/4 length, not as long as Drs wear but not the short jacket type. I run hot all the time since I had my kiddos, so I will never wear mine on the floor I'm sure...glad we don't HAVE to!:uhoh21: The only place I could probably tolerate wearing it is in OR, but of course we won't wear them in there.

Several people have mentioned wearing coats over their street clothes. We have uniform scrubs that we wear to clinicals. How many people wear street clothes? And what type?

We always wear one into and out of the clinical setting but never on the floor unless we just want to. I am also hot natured, so I would absolutely melt if I had to wear mine all day.

As for street clothes - the only place we are required to wear them is at our Psych rotation. There we are to wear street clothes (dress pants, nice shirt, close toed shoes) and our lab coat. Everywhere else we are required to wear the uniform of the program.

Several people have mentioned wearing coats over their street clothes. We have uniform scrubs that we wear to clinicals. How many people wear street clothes? And what type?

I wear street clothes and a lab coat when I go to the hospital to pick out patients, and a regular uniform for clinicals.

Same as everyobne else on here.. Our coats have the name of the school on the sleeve.. short coat for clinicals, long coat for days that we need to enter the hospital (with business casual clothes underneath)

this semester we have to wear white lab coats.

How many of you wear a white coat for clinicals? I start tomorrow but we had to get a white coat (the short kind like med students wear) to wear. Any of you wear something like this? I don't know that we'll actually wear them, once we get out in clincals, they may not make us wear them.

I don't know a single nurse in the real world (other than NPs) that wears a white coat, so why do we do it in school? Are we supposed to be trying to look like med students?

And the short coat? While a long coat may imply professionalism and instill confidence, nothing says, "I don't have a clue what I'm doing" like the short coat. I've got a good friend who is a PA who said she couldn't WAIT to get rid of her short coat after PA school. (She has a long one now.)

The hospital where I work all RN and NP's wear them but thats in outpatient, not sure what the story is inpatient, im going over there in two weeks so i'm curious to see what the deal is there.

I'm required to wear one to my clinicals, not sure what it looks like though, will find out on wednesday.

Yes, we wear them. Yes, they are short. No, we dont wear them on the floor as they are just too hot and dont breathe. Yes, we all look really dumb in them as the remainder of our uniform is all white as well. The downfall is the jacket is too hot to wear on the floor but it's the only thing that has POCKETS! Our uniforms are totally impracticle.